This post about creativity with kids in the kitchen is sponsored by Mom it Forward and Toca Boca, and I am part of the Mom it Forward Blogger Network. All opinions, overuse of the word awesome, and silliness are our own :)

I love to cook. And bake. And create fun stuff.. I love dinnertime dance parties as we get our evening meals ready. But – my skills don’t always match my enthusiasm, if you know what I mean. But in our home, having fun is more important than having perfection. Which is why I’m a big fan of Abby helping me in the kitchen. Sure, I end up with even more imperfect recipes, but we have a great time, and she learns a ton. This is also why I am a HUGE new fan of Toca Boca’s new app, Toca Kitchen 2. Check it out:

I’ve been compensated with a complimentary set of wireless speakers from Best Buy to evaluate, and share my experience with you guys. All opinions are my own, as always.

I love music. Like, almost any type of music. I like oldies – everything from motown to rock. I like Salt N Pepa, Norah Jones, Nickleback, Sublime. I like country. I like Taylor Swift. I have a majorly eclectic taste in tunes. And – since I entertain so much, I need to always have a way to play songs that fit the event, the crowd, and the mood. Which means ditching my old school CD player and CDs that I collected for years….

You know how hard it was to toss my awesome collection of 90s rap CDs? Seriously? It was like, throwing out a high school yearbook or class ring or something. Totally hard. But – who listens to CDs anymore, right? These days, it’s all about my Pandora radio stations, where I can customize my music selections to be exactly what I’m in the mood for. And, it means a need for awesome wireless speakers that can play music in every room of my house.

This reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. All opinions about the awesomeness of the LG OLED TV are my own!

Discover LG OLED TV – The Ultimate Display! Other than the kitchen, the TV, no matter where it is, is the place that families seem to gather around the most. Whether it’s catching up on a favorite TV series, having family movie nights, inviting friends over for big events like the Superbowl – a great TV has become a must-have. And, there’s now so much cool new technology – things like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon movies, etc – that you’ve just got to have a TV that can keep up. And I have an awesome option here for ya…

What is OLED TV?

Even though my whole life revolves around technology – work and my social life – I am always the first to admit that I’m not an expert. So, I will let you check out the details about this TV on the Best Buy website: LG OLED TV. That will give you all of the super duper technical stuff. Plus, a cool thing about shopping on BestBuy.com is that you can read tons of reviews of every product you’re interested in. Which is awesome. But, here are a few things that I am totally excited about, that I think you’ll love too:

It’s super thin. Which honestly, I wouldn’t care about from a tech standpoint, but I do love when thinking about design. It’s so much easier to move furniture around, redecorate, etc, when you have a thinner, less obtrusive TV. It’s only 0.21″ thick at it’s thinnest point – crazy, right?

It’s got speech recognition. Like, you can change the channel, open an app, or control things like your Blu-ray or home theater system. Crazy. #AwesomeLikeWoah . I know.

It’s got a curved screen, to make sure everyone, no matter where they’re sitting, gets an awesome experience as they view TV shows and movies on this screen.

Sounds pretty darn cool, right?

Learn more at LGOLEDatBestbuy.com. And let me know here in the comments, or on Twitter, what YOU are hoping to get this holiday season! Tag me at @sunandsipcups, and use the hashtag #HintingSeason :)

Do you love twitter parties? Best Buy is hosting an LG OLED Twitter Party on Thursday December 4th at 7PM CST. Feel free to join this party for a chance to receive Best Buy gift cards and other great prizes. Tweet #HintingSeason with your top gifts that you want this Holiday from Best Buy!!

Thereviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

You guys know I am always conflicted on giving the kids more tech gadgets, right? I’m a BIG believer in kids doing old school stuff like running and climbing and playing outside. My Mister’s oldest daughter told my nephews one day – {they’re 8 & 10} – about how she used to play. That she didn’t have all these gadgets and tablets and phones… She had geese. And 10 acres. And that was it. How times have changed. Lol. And I love non-tech type toys, especially for my little nephew who has a few sensory disorders. But at the same time, I do love the way that technology can seriously help kids learn, grow, and expand their minds. It’s amazing!

Thereviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Ok ladies. {And gentlemen – I know a handful of you read my posts here too. “Hi dad!!”} I have a seriously AWESOME new product and service to share with you today. Like, life changing. Almost as life changing as the new way to take pics from your cell phone I showed you the other day. It saves you time. Saves you money. And is super cool. Introducing…. The new HP Instant Ink, available from my best buds over at Best Buy. Let me tell ya all about it…

Big thank you to the Best Buy WOLF Blogging Network and the peeps at Sony for giving me the chance to try out the new lens style camera, the Sony QX10, and share the awesomeness with you! I received a complimentary product, but you know my opinions are my own, as always.

There are a few things that describe me well: Social media junkie. Photo addict. Tech lover. Memory capturer. Which is why I’ve always loved photography. Sure, I’m no pro – although I did take a few years of photography back in high school. Back when we had this weird stuff called film in our SLR cameras. {Notice the lack of a D at the beginning of that?} We developed our own film in darkrooms. Printed our own photos too, testing out different exposure settings. Do I sound old yet? :) But obviously these days photography has changed – drastically – in just the {let’s just say “slightly over”} 10 years I’ve been out of high school. Not only do we have DSLRs, smart phones, awesome point and shoot options, and more – but now, there’s a totally awesome new way to take pics. It’ll blow your mind. Check it out….

I love tech gadgets, but I’m not the most “technical” type of person. I don’t pay as much attention to things like megapixels and stuff, as I do to how the product actually works in my real life. So, for the details, you can check out the Sony QX10 at BestBuy.com. But I want to show you how this will totally change how you take photos – from your phone, or anywhere – forever. [Read more…]

I received a set of products from HP to help us have more summer fun – and am so excited to share them with you! #HPFamilyTime.

“In the happiest of our childhood memories, our parents were happy, too.” – Robert Brault… I love this quote. It seems so appropriate for summer, since that’s the time that most of us truly try to slow down, enjoy life, and cherish the little moments and memories. Snuggling with the littles in a hammock. Lazing the day away on the water. Picking dandelions. Or just swinging on the swing set, staring at the clouds. Good times, right?

For me, photos are so darn important. They are what help me keep those small summer moments fresh. I love to browse my photos books, see prints on the wall, share pics with friends. And now, I have a super duper easy peasy new way to do that – My HP ENVY 5530 e-All-in-One printer! It is absolute must for every busy mom out there this summer, seriously.

Yes, this is a printer. Not the first thing you think of when you picture must-have’s for summer fun. But seriously – You are going to fall in love. Keep reading to learn why…